05AP. VI.] PANTHEISM AJSTD THE VEDANTA. 107

its dealings with religion, the mind gets rid of all that is finite. These
dealings bring it satisfaction and emancipation. Eeligion is a con-
sciousness absolutely free, the consciousness of absolute truth, and so
itself true consciousness1.

But when it is said that philosophy is not religion, and that the former
is for the few and the latter for the many, it evidently refers to religious
life and not to theology. Eeligious life and, conduct may vary with
individu-al environment, but theological or theosophical truth must
be the truth underlying them all.

This, then, is the correct attitude to take; when it is determined
•what the philosophic or highest truth is, that ought to be taken as the
basic truth and ideal in life and conduct, and religious consciousness
must grow in the direction and on the line of that ideal as the goal.
It is no use saying that it is " consummate folly ever to hope to attain
it," and thus practically shutting it out from view. We must remem-
ber that all growth means progress, and this must begin at the lowest
rung of the ladder, and with individualism and empiric consciousness.

IncUvichialism and Freedom of the Will cannot possibly be ignored
in the initial stages of development; and it is only when individual
consciousness in its progress is sufficiently expanded that larger views
of things are possible, and a capacity is acquired to grasp spiritual
truths.

The Veddnta is, therefore, right in saying that there is no conflict
between its doctrine of tat-twam-asi and the ethical ideal, which
Christian writers are so much. in dread of losing, by the recognition of
the philosophic or highest truth. The one presupposes the other, and
does not repudiate or ignore it, as is generally supposed.

Ethics, morality, and religious life admittedly belong to the sphere
of relativity—to the world of the One and Many; but they are as
much. necessary to the development and spiritual progress of man
as the initial stages in the development of a child are to his attaining
manhood. The only avenue to the realm of things spiritual is the
ethical one.

Christian writers mostly take no note of these truths. As if it
is an algebraic equation, they think that if Pantheism means All is <

1 Hegel, Pfleiderer's (Phil. Eel.,9 Vol. II, pp. 82-3.